Last week during our examination of Timmins history, we got into a discussion about early hospitals in the Porcupine Mining Camp.
There was the doctor’s office across from the McIntyre Arena, for McIntyre Mine employees.
Museum director-curator Karen Bachmann told us that the Hollinger Mine built what became St. Mary’s, but it was for mine employees only, not their families.
“Eventually, that shakes through a little bit more when Les Soeurs de la Providence became involved and then it became a family hospital as well,” says Bachmann. “So they had a maternity ward and those kinds of things that they added on.”
The Dome Mine had its own hospital on its property. A doctor was there for several years, along with nurses to help him.
“That’s how we sort of delivered health care in the community through some of those mines, first of all for those employees,” Bachmann adds. “For those that weren’t part of that system, there were cottage hospitals.”
That’s where we’ll pick up next week. Please note that because of the Easter holiday, the history feature will be on Tuesday.
(Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre)